Category: Latest News

Blog. When Apple blocked by default all third party cookies in its Safari-browser, Facebook and others made a circumvention and used a first party cookie to track us. Apple is back with an answer to that. The ad tech industry … Read More

News. Facial recognition is a critical technology for us to debate before we deploy it all over to catch criminals, make a profit on selling the technology or using it to reduce headcount by replacing folks. San Francisco just banned … Read More

News. Human Rights Watch (HRW) got access to an app, “Integrated Joint Operations Platform” (IJOP), which they say the Chinese authority in the western Xinjiang region uses to surveil and categorise the local population. By ‘reverse engineering’ HRW was able … Read More

Blog. We are forgetting the nature of humans, when we are applying the methods of computer problems. Human ability to think in the whole can never pass on to the computer whose language is binary encoding of data. And human … Read More

Blog. Obtaining relevant patient data for pharmaceutical and medical research in Europe is no easy task. To keep pace with American and Chinese companies there is a solution: Let European citizens exercise their right to a copy of their data, … Read More

BLOG. If we want to use personal data to enhance our lives and society, we need to do it in a way that can be trusted and does not compromise our privacy. Danish scientists offer a solution where data is … Read More

Get this article in Spanish here Blog. The future is lying in the cities. In 1950, approximately 1 billion people were living in urbanized areas on our planet; by the end of this century UN projections forecast that 85% of the world … Read More

The EU’s first ethics guidelines on AI have been published. Dataethics.eu’s cofounder Gry Hasselbalch is a member of the EC High Level Expert Group that developed the guidelines. She sat down on the day of the launch and outlined her … Read More

Blog. We went from Age of Humans to Age of Google in just 20 years. You can never trust Google to tell the truth and the whole truth about what the data monopoly knows about you. But here is how … Read More

Blog. The global AI race has been on for a while. It is about speedy automation, and China and the US are heading in a fierce competition, where human autonomy is secondary to economic growth. China operates as a ‘data … Read More

News. The Chinese app TikTok (former Musical.ly) has been fined under the American privacy law COPPA for disturbing practices towards children. Is YouTube next? The American Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that the app TikTok for years directed their service … Read More

News. What happens when you want to dispatch yourselves from the Big Five: Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple? Is it possible? US-journalist Kashmir Hill set out for a 6-weeks period to figure out how to disconnect herself from the … Read More

Event. The fourth European Data Ethics Forum will be Thursday October 10th in Copenhagen at CFL. We (DataEthics.eu and our cool partner Danish IT) already have a bunch of truely interesting speakers such as UN Global Pulse, who has 75 … Read More

Analysis. Permissionless public blockchain technology could challenge large social networks such as Facebook, where users have to accept the fact that they have to give away their data in order to be a part of the network. With the European … Read More

Blog. The Chinese Government’s role in China’s tech revolution and application of AI is huge and clever – and according to Kai-Fu Lee, a Chinese-American investor, China will very soon catch up with and possibly surpass the US in artificial … Read More

From our own world. Three exciting events coming up this spring. And mark you calendars for October 10th where the 4th European Data Ethics Forum will take place in Copenhagen. Our thinkdotank participates in many international meetings giving expert advice … Read More

Analysis. Micro-targeting and data analytics in political campaigns disregard voters’ personal privacy and they cannot make truly informed choices. Facebook is lying when they say they don’t sell data and chose profits over security. And social media should be accountable … Read More

News. A new way of getting you to pay the optimal price – according to the seller – is to higher the price, the closer you get to a physical store, according to a story In Yahoo Finance. But this … Read More

Blog. 2o18 was the year of the techlash. Mainly driven by the revelations of Facebook’s yearlong laissez-faire with personal data and Cambridge Analytica’s abuse of it. Google, however, worries that they are next, and there is a good reason for … Read More

Study. At least 13 jurisdictions in the US are currently using predictive policing systems or have previously been engaged in predictive policing pilots. An examination of the implications of using dirty data with predictive policing shows an elevated risks of … Read More

Analysis. By relying on data profiling and even more data predictions, we risk loosing our human senses and intuition. We risk replacing fundamental human skills with data analysis and machine learning. It is easy and convenient, and it is already … Read More

Blog. Are we seeing a Europe working towards prohibiting the fundamental surveillance business model of Facebook, Google and the ad tech industry? So, it seems from a recent German antitrust decision and a EU comment. In February the German antitrust … Read More

Today the spaces we move in are extended by digital infrastructures that tracks us by default. Surveillance has become ordinary. Conducted by not only state actors, but also commercial actors and embedded in the digital and physical architecture and atmospheres … Read More

Activity tracking technologies, also known as wearables, are technologies that track your every step, pulse, pace, active minutes and even sleep. Data from these devices are not only used for good but can be misused to learn about individual health … Read More

Analysis. The French data protection authority, CNIL, finds that Google – with its dominant market position and its economic model based on data – deprives users of essential privacy rights, and thus has issued the biggest fine ever of 50 … Read More

Blog. Anything that can be predicted will be predicted. Such were the words in one of many events in Davos during World Economic Forum 2019. Artificial intelligence, privacy and ethics and data for good use were among the hot topics … Read More

News. How do we make sure that artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial systems are compliant with international standards like the European Convention on Human Rightsand the Council of Europe convention on data protection? According to Council of Europe a brand … Read More

Analysis. In the discussion of decision-making in autonomous cars we must be aware of the data these system have access to. On what basis are autonomous cars going to determine humans right to life? And are we willing to take … Read More

News. For years the US has been investigating the data broker industry. Now Europe are taking a closer look into their activities. For years, data brokers have operated in the shadows, but with GDPR and a shift in public opinion … Read More

Report. Go beyond GDPR and ban sending personally identifiable data out to advertising networks. Such are the recommendation from the British New Economics Foundation, who is working to transform the economy to work for people and the planet, in its … Read More

The High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, which was appointed by the European Commission this summer has released the first draft of its Ethics Guidelines for the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI). In this document, the independent group of 52 experts, … Read More

Blog. For each year passing by more children are getting online, and younger children are spending more and more of their day online. A new study from the UK Children’s Commissioner is on a very important mission: To kickstart thoughts … Read More

Blog. Knowledge is power! And therefore, knowledge must be managed with great responsibility. Many librarians and information professionals are aware and devoted to this when building bridges between people and knowledge. Knowledge as a concept can have many approaches. … Read More

Artificial intelligence, AI, is a popular topic. A future scenario, in which everything and everyone are connected via intelligent machines and networks that constantly exchange data which decides our options and defines and guides us, is no longer science fiction; … Read More

News. The era of data ethics is upon us—and only those with the highest standards will win over global customers, says an article in SAP’s magasine The D!gitalist who is also listing new models for data management once consumers and … Read More

News. Privacy International has filed complaints against 7 data brokers (Acxiom, Oracle), ad-tech companies (Criteo, Quantcast, Tapad), and credit referencing agencies (Equifax, Experian) with data protection authorities in France, Ireland, and the UK. It is a huge, well-research set of complaints that … Read More

Blog. Learning processes and tests at schools and universities are typically highly personal. Therefore in the past, these data have not been shared. Now, researchers at The Technical University of Denmark, have found a way to share these data without … Read More

Research. New study casts doubt on the ability of new technology to target effectively. Many people believe that we are all being micro-targetted with manipulative ads and messages from politicians. But an Australian study proves different. Personalised advertising may be … Read More

Blog. The word trust is often used in discussions about data ethics. But what is the relation between trust and ethics? Which values are inviolable and worth fighting for? In ethics and moral theory it is common to distinguish between … Read More

Blog. Report from the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners. Big tech, capitalising big on other peoples’ data, were scolded. Others hit the roof talking about saving democracy and humanity. Facebook has at least 11 ways of … Read More

Blog. Many might assume that their freedom of speech is protected online. The internet is a global structure connecting us all, and to many it might seem like a public space, but the social platforms we use to communicate with … Read More

DataEthics.eu is invited to participate in the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners Debating Ethics. We are part of a Creative Café involving ‘specially invited knowledge holders’ discussing ‘How To Move Forward In Digital Ethics?’ Below are … Read More

Paper. The rise of the ethical technology debate runs in parallel to the increasing resistance to any regulation at all. Assistant professor Ben Wagner is worried that the focus on ethics can be used as a way of getting around … Read More

EVENT. DPO Julia Sommer has done some great drawings from European DataEthics Forum 2018. You can read more about the conference here and here. See you next year. Sign up to our monthly newsletter to get the news about it. … Read More

EVENT. With the third European DataEthics Forum in Copenhagen we once again demonstrated that we are way beyond talking about data ethics. We do it. And this year we went deeper with for example demonstrations of how to explain an … Read More

Report. With AI technologies evolving and being integrated into our society, the possible dangers connected with AI are becoming more real than ever. These risks involve the emerging of surveillance governments, the creation of unfair and discriminating systems and societies, … Read More

Blog. Third party audits and a global committee to approve of (new use of) new technologies to make sure global human right and ethical principles are respected. Those are two of the concrete suggestions coming out of a global governance … Read More

News. Bad data can seriously impact on fundamental rights and liberties. Therefore, Spanish-based Eticas Foundation has launched a BAD DATA Challenge, a research, mobilization and awareness project that aims to demystify data and question whether the quality and accuracy of … Read More

Blog. Google’s plan of building a neighborhood in Toronto is moving forward. Until recently, urban planning was done by public authorities where the public had a right to know what was going on. These days might be over. There is … Read More

NEWS: Robots and AI real life actors were 20th Century figments of sci fi imagination. But increasingly robots, robotic and AI technologies are embedded in our every day lives acting in and transforming our culture, economy and society. Are we prepared … Read More

Report. Concerns for privacy is an explanation for the growth in ad-blocking software according to a new report from Reuters Institute. It also looks at how we get our news. Almost one third (31%) of all the people questioned in … Read More

Event. We’ve heard much about ‘black box algorithms and AI’. Secret systems that analyse and predicts your credit score and search results, your likability of getting the flue or winning a game. ‘Black box’ means secret, a business secret just … Read More

Study. A wide EU-study shows that 92% of the airline ticket websites, 76% of hotel room websites, and 41% of websites selling sports shoes personalise offers, when a consumer enters the site. The price differentiation, though, seems to be very … Read More

Research. Google sucks up more personal data than most people could imagine. Even when a Chrome browser is in “incognito” mode, shows new research form Vanderbilt University. Google denies it and tries to miscredit the professor behind. Get a list … Read More

Who should be the most autonomous. Cars? Chat bots? AI based doctors? Or Humans? Humans, of course, and if we aim to keep humans behind the wheel, we need data ethical considerations on top of our privacy policies. But what … Read More

Blog. Do you want to know, if a service sits on your personal data and what it does with it? With one click you can ask more than 60 of the bigger companies instead of writing them one by one. … Read More

Research. Businesses, politicians and scholars all call for property rights in data. But this should be avoided according to a research paper from University of Californation. “Various parties are actively staking their claims to data on the Internet of Things, … Read More

EVENT. The woman who is fighting Facebook. The man who is fighting Google. A bunch of privacy and data ethics focused startups and companies. And a wonderful international network of humans who are interested in using personal data in an … Read More

News. “Three-person babies. Extreme biohacking. Outposts on Mars. Cheating death. The changing nature of life as we know it. The future portends to be amazing (and terrifying), and it’s right around the corner.” This is how Medium is selling its … Read More

The new European legislative environment changes the relationship between users and their online data. Part of this change is represented by users gaining more control over who and when gets access to what type of personal information. In this context, … Read More

The UK government is asking the public sector to work with data in an ethical responsible way. Therefore they have released an ethical framework to spur data ethical innovation. It deals with 7 principles and are mainly initiatives done on … Read More

Book Chapter. Profiling through cookies, IP addresses, apps, device fingerprinting and data brokers is getting more advanced, as are new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, using microchips and sensors integrated into our homes, cars and cities. Everything we do online … Read More

REPORT. Imagine a future where Nordic citizens have full control over their health data and gave dynamic consent every time someone else but you want to access their health data. Individuals decide their own privacy policy, and in the event … Read More

Analysis. The most common tool in the most common business model of the Internet, is cookie tracking. Some visionary companies are showing the data ethics way with no cookies or with privacy-by-design cookies, and as users realize how easy it … Read More

Blog. Will you pay with money to read news, or are you okay with paying with your opinions? These are two options the Dutch start-up, the Playwall, offers media companies to obtain more users and income – and become less … Read More

News. The French insurance company MAIF is probably one of the first companies in the world, who can claim that it pays to treat other people’s data ethically responsible. Where is the money? For years impatient data ethics skeptics have … Read More

Pop the champagne corks. In a few weeks, GDPR is going to take effect throughout all of Europe. And at the last moment, some member states have decided to lower the digital age of consent to 13 – under the … Read More

Why does Snowden use Jitsi? I spoke to Emil Ivov, Chief Video Architect at Atlassian and the original author of Jitsi, about the upbringings of this project and its most used solutions: Jitsi Meet and meet.jit.si. We touched on building … Read More

RESEARCH. In a new report on Artificial Intelligence, the UK House of Lords promotes ethics as the centre of the development of artificial intelligence. The reports also paints a picture of a current AI field run by data monopolies. The report … Read More

The Danish company Spiir helps individuals make sense of their financial transaction. Financial personal data type is utterly valuable in today’s times in which whole industries depend on thorough risk assessments. Because of its importance in decreasing financial risks, this … Read More

INTERVIEW. With cloud computing being the sector developing most in the IT industry, close to all Europeans have their data hosted by a cloud storage service. Surely a high percentage of this article’s readers already know that in reality there … Read More

News. In both hearings before the US Senate and Congress, Facebook CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg only mentioned two kinds of data: information that people decide to share on the platform, and data that is automatically collected about people’s behaviour, … Read More

News. YouTube is profiting off young views and illegally collecting data about under-age viewers. This is the accusation of more than 20 advocacy group who have filed a complaint to the FTC to investigate if Google – owner of YouTube … Read More

With the increasing public debate on questions regarding fake news, voter manipulation etc., ethical questions regarding data handling have finally gained real momentum. Several initiatives are currently set in motion to develop the basic data ethics standards for technology and … Read More

News. A new study, The Child Data Violators, made by the thinkdotank DataEthics.eu is benchmarking 14 services aimed at or used by children. It shows that only 2 of 14 are treating childrens’ data ethically responsible. LEGO and Edulab are … Read More

News. Dana Boyd, researcher at Microsoft, founder of Data & Society and a kids and gadget expert, has some good tips for parents worrying about their kids’ addiction to their Smartphones. It is about verbalizing what you do, making a … Read More

Analysis. Personal data can help develop societies. We use data to predict patterns and manage risks, to invent new vaccines, get effective access to information, create new and cleaner technologies. But, in the case of predictions based on personal data, … Read More

Book. Regulation, competitive innovation, social responsibility, worker and consumer choice and education are the five magic bullets on how to solve the current digital trust crisis, according to an excellent book from Andrew Keen; ‘How To Fix the Future’. As … Read More

Survey. Location data is one of the most sensitive personal data types it seems according to consumers. A new survey shows that a vast majority are very uneasy sharing location data and that only a small minority share location always … Read More

Blog. Facebook’s ‘Custom Audience’ gives you access to new customers that look like you current customers – it gives you ‘lookalikes’ and it is the most powerful weapon in the Facebook ads arsenal. According to a former Facebook product manager; … Read More

Whitepaper. Use GDPR to improve data protection strategies, says new whitepaper “Maintaining Data Protection and Privacy Beyond GDPR Implementation” from ISACA, written by Privacy Program Manager Tim Clements. Download it below. Too many enterprises are treating their GDPR challenge as … Read More

Report. The Ethics Advisory Group (EAG) to the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has identified the most crucial digital ethics dilemmas confronting humans in the wake of new technology. The report ‘Towards A Digital Ethics’ describes how we in Europe … Read More

Research. Data analysis is the rocket fuel for targeted advertising on social media platforms. It is a mistake to fixate on Russia, as it is only one of many online disinformation operators, according to new research on precision propaganda called … Read More

News. The new European privacy law, GDPR, is having effect all over the world for companies wanting a part of the lucrative EU market. Big in the US has been changing their services to live up to the new regulation. … Read More

Data protection impact assessments (DPIA), also referred to as Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA), are compulsory under the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But ensuring an organization or business’ data protection compliance now and in the future is the … Read More

Analysis. Ethics, privacy, regulation, accountability and the survival of humanity were major issues at this year’s World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, which ended on Friday, January 26th. It was all about data and the many possibilities, and especially the … Read More

The Danish company Edulab has prepared a customer data promise as a set of data ethical guidelines and an understandable privacy policy, telling users what they do and don’t do with their data. A role model which most services targeted … Read More

Blog. There are multiple opportunities for the future workplace, when it comes to using data. ISS, the Danish cleaning service and facility management company, is an interesting case. Due to privacy laws in Europe, the global company is reluctant to … Read More

News. Apple’s privacy-by-default feature, Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in the newest version of the Safari browser will cost the ad tech business millions of dollars. One of the big players is downsizing its estimations of revenue by 22%, according to … Read More

Analysis. The big data challenge in 2018 in will be to maintain digital trust. In government, in companies and in each other. In Europe, new groundbreaking privacy rules are in place that ensure the individual’s right to control his own … Read More

Analysis. We are about to outsource the human brain to the computer without having a debate about where we set the limits. Has human and human authority climaxed, and are we heading into a post-human era where artificial intelligent robots … Read More

The thinkdotank DataEhics.eu has developed a set of data ethics principles and guidelines that may help the integration of data ethics in your data processing activities. Here, we present the principles, a detailed questionnaire and a FAQ on data ethics. … Read More

News. Protection and preventing abusive competition are two sides of the same coin when it comes to social networks, according to the Germans, whose anti-trust authority accuses Facebook of abusing its dominant position. The German authority objects to Facebook’s requirement … Read More

Research. The importance of digital technologies for social and economic developments and a growing focus on data collection and privacy concerns have made the Internet a salient and visible issue in global politics. Recent developments have increased the awareness that … Read More

Blog. Most social media and apps know that they have many children on their services, but they refrain from any responsibility by requiring that you have to be 13 years in their terms which almost no one reads when signing … Read More

Increasingly we hear about algorithms that shape our everyday lives. They are trained on data, evolve with data, make descisions based on data. Lots of this data is human data transformed into mathematical forms and digits. The development of our … Read More

Research. There has been much dispute over GDPR and whether it entails a right to explanation of e.g. algorithmic decision-making. According to a paper from Andrew D. Selbst, Data & Society, and Julia Powles, University of Cambridge that right is … Read More

Testimony. The personal reputation business is exploding. Having eroded privacy for decades, shady, poorly regulated data miners, brokers and resellers have now taken creepy classification to a whole new level. Such are the words of professor of Law Frank Pasquale, … Read More

Research. AI does not exist in a vacuum and the promises of the tech companies behind are not enough. New report highlights four challenge areas and gives recommendations on how to proceed. Artificial intelligent (AI) systems are already integrated in … Read More